The present invention relates generally to improvements in electronic price label (EPL) systems used in transaction establishments. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in EPL systems including systems and methods for an EPL to display a bagging indicator which indicates where an item associated with the EPL should be placed in a customer""s shopping container.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store. EPLs display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file which contains EPL identification information and EPL merchandise item information. The central server sends messages, including price change messages, to the EPLs.
Consumers and governments are becoming more conscious of health concerns relating to purchased food items. Currently, consumers typically browse through a retail establishment, select certain items and place the items to be purchased in a shopping container, such as a shopping cart, a shopping basket or a shopping bag. When disparate items are placed in a common shopping container, contamination from one item may potentially be spread to another item. For example, packaged raw meat may leak a fluid containing salmonella onto fresh produce or onto the surface of a clean can. Governments are beginning to respond to this problem by requiring that certain items be kept in separate shopping containers or in an approved shopping container which includes multiple compartments. Consumers need to know or may profit from a reminder as to which items should be placed into a particular shopping bag or compartment.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide EPL systems and methods which include an EPL that displays a bagging indicator which indicates where an item associated with the EPL should be placed in a customer""s shopping container.
The present invention advantageously provides methods and apparatus for displaying a bagging indicator by an EPL to provide shopping information to customers. The bagging indicator may suitably indicate a product type of the item, informing customers of which compartment or shopping bag the item should be placed into. According to one aspect of the present invention, an EPL computer reads an EPL data file to determine if an item has an associated bagging indicator. The EPL computer transmits a bagging message to an EPL associated with the item which includes a command for the EPL to display a bagging indicator. The EPL then displays the bagging indicator providing valuable information to customers who are in the process of selecting items.
In one aspect, the present invention advantageously allows a retailer to make the consumer aware that certain items need to be grouped in a particular compartment or bag when selected for purchase. In a preferred embodiment, a bagging indicator displayed by an EPL may comprise a color which indicates the categorization of an item. For example, a first color may correspond to items which potentially include a risk of salmonella contamination, a second color may indicate that an item is a produce item and must be placed in a separate plastic bag, and a third color may indicate that an item includes a sealed container which prevents the spread of any contamination. Customers may advantageously use the bagging indicator to place items with like colors in the same compartment or bag.
In the preferred embodiment, the present invention provides for the display of a colored bagging indicator by an EPL by silkscreening, or otherwise imprinting, one or more colored areas on a face plate of the EPL. An EPL segment shaped substantially similar to the colored area is aligned behind each of the colored areas. When the EPL segment behind a colored area is not active, the color is visible to customers. Conversely, when the EPL segment behind a colored area is active, the color is not visible to customers.
In another aspect, the bagging indicator is displayed by an EPL as a number. The number may suitably correspond to one compartment of a shopping bag or to a particular type of shopping bag.